If you run a Shopify store and want to actually talk to your customers—not just hope they find the FAQ—live chat can make a real difference. But setting it up shouldn’t be harder than selling online in the first place. This guide walks you through adding Tidio—a popular live chat and chatbot tool—to Shopify. You’ll get the real steps, no hype, and a few blunt takes on what works and what’s just noise.
Why bother with Tidio on Shopify?
Here’s the honest pitch: Most shoppers won’t email you if they’re stuck. A live chat gives them a low-effort way to ask questions and (hopefully) buy. Tidio offers:
- Live chat: Talk to customers in real time.
- Chatbots: Answer common stuff automatically, even when you’re asleep.
- Integrations: It plugs into Shopify without much hassle.
There are plenty of chat tools out there. Tidio is popular because setup is quick, it’s not overloaded with bloat, and the free plan is decent for small stores. If you want fancy CRM magic, it’s not the deepest. But for basic support and conversions? It gets the job done.
Step 1: Get your Tidio account ready
Before you touch anything in Shopify, you need a Tidio account.
- Go to Tidio’s website.
- Sign up. You can use Google, Shopify, or email.
- Pick your main goal. (Sales, support, etc. Honest answer: this just helps Tidio suggest some features. It won’t lock you in.)
- Set your chat widget colors and avatar. Don’t overthink it—you can change this later.
- Skip adding your team for now, unless you already know who’s jumping in.
- Copy the code snippet Tidio offers at the end. You don’t need this for the Shopify app install, but it’s good to have if you go manual later.
Pro tip: You can do the basic setup in five minutes. Don’t get lost in chatbot flows or integrations yet. Focus on getting chat live first.
Step 2: Install Tidio from the Shopify App Store
You could paste a code snippet, but using Shopify’s app store is much easier (and less breakable).
- In Shopify, go to “Apps” in the left menu.
- Search for “Tidio – Live Chat & Chatbots”.
- Click “Add app.”
- Follow the prompts to install. Shopify will ask for permission—Tidio needs access to basic store info and ability to display the widget.
- Log in to your Tidio account when prompted. If you signed up with Google/email, use the same method here.
Once installed, the Tidio chat widget shows up on your store automatically—no code, no fuss.
Heads up: If you already had a Tidio account (not created via Shopify), linking it now will merge your new Shopify store with your existing Tidio dashboard. That’s usually fine, but double-check if you run multiple stores.
Step 3: Check that chat is working
Let’s make sure your customers (and you) can actually see the chat box.
- Open your Shopify store in a private/incognito window.
- Look for the Tidio chat bubble in the corner. Default is bottom right, but you can move it later.
- Send yourself a test message.
- In your Tidio dashboard, check for the new chat. You should see it in your “Conversations” panel.
If you don’t see the widget:
- Make sure the app is installed and active in Shopify.
- Check your Tidio settings: Go to Channels > Live Chat in Tidio, and make sure the widget is enabled.
- If you use a custom Shopify theme, check that it hasn’t hidden third-party widgets by default. Some themes are picky.
Step 4: Basic customization and settings
Get the basics right before you get fancy.
Customize the widget
- Colors and avatar: Make it match your store, or don’t—nobody buys because your chat bubble is the right shade of blue.
- Greeting message: Set a simple, friendly “Hey, need help?” Don’t sound like a robot unless you’re actually using one.
- Position: Usually bottom right works. If you have sticky “Buy” buttons, double-check nothing overlaps.
Set availability
If you’re a one-person shop, you’re not on 24/7. In Tidio, set your online/offline hours so customers know when to expect a reply. The widget can show an offline message and let folks leave their email.
Notifications
Tidio can ping your email or phone when someone writes. Turn this on if you want to know instantly, but beware—if you get a lot of “test” messages from bots or bored browsers, it can get noisy.
Step 5: Add chatbots if you want (but don’t overdo it)
Tidio’s big selling point is that it lets you build simple chatbots without coding. These can:
- Answer repetitive questions (shipping, returns, order status)
- Collect emails for follow-up
- Route conversations to a real person
But here’s the truth: Most customers just want a quick answer or a human. Don’t make your bot a maze.
Quick start with templates
Tidio has ready-made chatbot templates for Shopify stores—like “Track my order” or “FAQ bot.” To set up:
- In Tidio, go to “Chatbots” in the left menu.
- Browse templates and pick one that fits.
- Edit the text to match your store’s voice.
- Test the bot on your site.
You can build more complex flows, but honestly, start with one or two. See what people ask most, then add more if needed.
Ignore for now: Advanced integrations, multi-language bots, or anything that sounds like it needs a developer. You can come back to these once you’ve got the basics down.
Step 6: Connect Shopify data (optional, but useful)
Tidio can pull in some Shopify data—like order status—so you (or your bots) can answer questions faster.
- Order details in chat: When a customer chats in while logged into their Shopify account, Tidio can show their order history.
- Automated order tracking: You can set up a bot to fetch order status if the customer enters their order number.
To check if this is working:
- Go to Tidio > Settings > Integrations > Shopify.
- Look for “Order info” or similar settings.
- Follow prompts to enable access.
Not all features are perfect—sometimes, order lookups can fail if the customer uses a different email, or bots get confused. Don’t promise magic. But for basic “Where’s my order?” cases, this can save time.
Step 7: Set up your team (if you have one)
If you’re solo, skip this. For small teams:
- Add agents in Tidio: Go to Settings > Team, invite by email.
- Assign chats: You can have Tidio auto-assign chats or let agents pick them up.
- Set agent hours: Handy if you cover different shifts or time zones.
Don’t bother with complex routing rules unless you’re running a big support desk.
Step 8: Monitor, tweak, and don’t obsess
Check your Tidio dashboard after a week:
- What questions come up most? If it’s always “Where’s my order?”, maybe tweak your chatbot or your site’s FAQ.
- Are people dropping off without a reply? Maybe your notifications aren’t working, or you need to set better offline messages.
- Getting spam? Add simple filters, or set up pre-chat questions to weed out bots.
Remember: The goal isn’t to automate everything—it’s to make it easier for real customers to get answers fast.
What to ignore (at least for now)
Tidio, like any SaaS tool, pushes a lot of “advanced” features:
- Email marketing, pop-ups, and newsletters: Fine if you want, but Shopify has better options for serious email.
- Overly complex chatbot flows: If you need a diagram to follow the conversation, you’ve gone too far.
- Analytics dashboards: Glance at trends, but don’t get lost in the weeds.
Focus on getting chat working well. Fancy extras can wait.
Keep it simple—and iterate
Live chat is like a good shop clerk: friendly, available, and never pushy. Start with the basics. Get Tidio live on your Shopify store, answer some questions, and see what customers actually need. Then add more—if you really have to.
Most stores overcomplicate this stuff. Don’t be most stores. Keep it simple, ship it, and make changes as you go. That’s how you build support that actually helps you sell.